Public opposed to Bush Social Security plan

CNN:

Only 41 percent said they approved of Bush's desire to revamp Social Security, on which he has promised to spend the "political capital" he earned from his November election victory.

Bush has endorsed the concept of allowing younger workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in private accounts in exchange for receiving less in guaranteed Social Security benefits.

He has yet to offer details of his proposal, but critics have argued that the transition to such a program could cost $1 trillion to $2 trillion.

Monday's poll suggests the president will have a hard sell for any partial privatization effort.

More than half of those polled -- 55 percent -- said they considered it a bad idea, and 45 percent said they considered it a good idea.

Bush's overall approval sat at 52%, largely due to the public's positive view of his handling of the tsunami disaster.